Convergence of the one-dimensional Cahn-Hilliard equation

We consider the Cahn-Hilliard equation in one space dimension with scaling a small parameter \epsilon and a non-convex potential W. In the limit \espilon \to 0, under the assumption that the initial data are energetically well-prepared, we show the convergence to a Stefan problem. The proof is based on variational methods and exploits the gradient flow structure of the Cahn-Hilliard equation.Comment: 23 page

Critical case for the viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation

We prove the existence of solutions of the viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation in whole domain when the nonlinear term in the second order diffusion grows as uq for the critical case when N >= 3. Our results improve the ones in [9, 12]

Interface dynamics in discrete forward-backward diffusion equations

We study the motion of phase interfaces in a diffusive lattice equation with bistable nonlinearity and derive a free boundary problem with hysteresis to describe the macroscopic evolution in the parabolic scaling limit. The first part of the paper deals with general bistable nonlinearities and is restricted to numerical experiments and heuristic arguments. We discuss the formation of macroscopic data and present numerical evidence for pinning, depinning, and annihilation of interfaces. Afterwards we identify a generalized Stefan condition along with a hysteretic flow rule that characterize the dynamics of both standing and moving interfaces. In the second part, we rigorously justify the limit dynamics for single-interface data and a special piecewise affine nonlinearity. We prove persistence of such data, derive upper bounds for the macroscopic interface speed, and show that the macroscopic limit can indeed be described by the free boundary problem. The fundamental ingredient to our proofs is a representation formula that links the solutions of the nonlinear lattice to the discrete heat kernel and enables us to derive macroscopic compactness results in the space of continuous functions.Comment: 34 pages, several figure

Homogenization of Cahn--Hilliard-type equations via evolutionary Gamma-convergence

In this paper we discuss two approaches to evolutionary Γ-convergence of gradient systems in Hilbert spaces. The formulation of the gradient system is based on two functionals, namely the energy functional and the dissipation potential, which allows us to employ Γ-convergence methods. In the first approach we consider families of uniformly convex energy functionals such that the limit passage of the time-dependent problems can be based on the theory of evolutionary variational inequalities as developed by Daneri and Savar'e 2010. The second approach uses the equivalent formulation of the gradient system via the energy-dissipation principle and follows the ideas of Sandier and Serfaty 2004. We apply both approaches to rigorously derive homogenization limits for Cahn-Hilliard-type equations. Using the method of weak and strong two-scale convergence via periodic unfolding, we show that the energy and dissipation functionals Γ-converge. In conclusion, we will give specific examples for the applicability of each of the two approaches

On evolutionary Gamma convergence for gradient systems

In these notes we discuss general approaches for rigorously deriving limits of generalized gradient flows. Our point of view is that a generalized gradient system is defined in terms of two functionals, namely the energy functional Eε and the dissipation potential Rε or the associated dissipation distance. We assume that the functionals depend on a small parameter and the associated gradients systems have solutions uε. We investigate the question under which conditions the limits u of (subsequences of) the solutions uε are solutions of the gradient system generated by the Γ-limits E0 and R0. Here the choice of the right topology will be crucial as well as additional structural conditions. We cover classical gradient systems, where Rε is quadratic, and rate-independent systems as well as the passage from viscous to rate-independent systems. Various examples, such as periodic homogenization, are used to illustrate the abstract concepts and results

The gradient flow of the double well potential and its appearance in interacting particle systems

In this work we are interested in the existence of solutions to parabolic partial differential equations associated to gradient flows which involve the so-called double well potential, which is a nonconvex and nonconcave functional. Therefore the formal L2-gradient flow of the double well potential leads to a so-called forward-backward parabolic equation, which is not well-posed: it may fail to admit local in time classical solutions, at least for a large class of initial data. We discretize this forward-backward parabolic equation in space and prove convergence of the scheme for a suitable class of initial data. Moreover we identify the limit equation and characterize the long-time behavior of the limit solutions. Then we view such discrete-in-space schemes as systems of particles driven by the double-well potential and add a perturbation by independent Brownian motions to their dynamics. We describe the behaviour of a particle system with long-range interactions, in which the range of interactions is allowed to depend on the size of the system. We give conditions on the interaction strength under which the scaling limit of the particle system is a well-posed stochastic PDE and characterize the long-time behavior of this stochastic PDE

Analyse mathématique de modèles d'intrusion marine dans les aquifères côtiers

The theme of this thesis is the analysis of mathematical models describing saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. The simplicity of sharp interface approach is chosen : there is no mass transfer between fresh water and salt water (respectively between the saturated zone and the area dry). We compensate the mathematical difficulty of the analysis of free interfaces by a vertical averaging process allowing us to reduce the 3D problem to system of pde's defined on a 2D domain Ω. A second model is obtained by combining the approach of 'sharp interface' in that with 'diffuse interface' ; this approach is derived from the theory introduced by Allen-Cahn, using phase functions to describe the phenomena of transition between fresh water and salt water (respectively the saturated and unsaturated areas). The 3D problem is then reduced to a strongly coupled system of quasi-linear parabolic equations in the unconfined case describing the evolution of the DEPTHS of two free surfaces and elliptical-parabolic equations in the case of confined aquifer, the unknowns being the depth of salt water/fresh water interface and the fresh water hydraulic head. In the first part of the thesis, the results of global in time existence are demonstrated showing that the sharp-diffuse interface approach is more relevant since it allows to establish a mor physical maximum principle (more precisely a hierarchy between the two free surfaces). In contrast, in the case of confined aquifer, we show that both approach leads to similar results. In the second part of the thesis, we prove the uniqueness of the solution in the non-degenerate case. The proof is based on a regularity result of the gradient of the solution in the space Lr (ΩT), r > 2, (ΩT = (0,T) x Ω). Then we are interest in a problem of identification of hydraulic conductivities in the unsteady case. This problem is formulated by an optimization problem whose cost function measures the squared difference between experimental hydraulic heads and those given by the model.Le thème de cette thèse est l'analyse mathématique de modèles décrivant l'intrusion saline dans les aquifères côtiers. On a choisi d'adopter la simplicité de l'approche avec interface nette : il n'y a pas de transfert de masse entre l'eau douce et l'eau salée (resp. entre la zone saturée et la zone sèche). On compense la difficulté mathématique liée à l'analyse des interfaces libres par un processus de moyennisation verticale nous permettant de réduire le problème initialement 3D à un système d'edps définies sur un domaine, Ω, 2D. Un second modèle est obtenu en combinant l'approche 'interface nette' à celle avec interface diffuse ; cette approche est déduite de la théorie introduite par Allen-Cahn, utilisant des fonctions de phase pour décrire les phénomènes de transition entre les milieux d'eau douce et d'eau salée (respectivement les milieux saturé et insaturé). Le problème d'origine 3D est alors réduit à un système fortement couplé d'edps quasi-linéaires de type parabolique dans le cas des aquifères libres décrivant l'évolution des profondeurs des 2 surfaces libres et de type elliptique-parabolique dans le cas des aquifères confinés, les inconnues étant alors la profondeur de l'interface eau salée par rapport à eau douce et la charge hydraulique de l'eau douce. Dans la première partie de la thèse, des résultats d'existence globale en temps sont démontrés montrant que l'approche couplée interface nette-interface diffuse est plus pertinente puisqu'elle permet d'établir un principe du maximum plus physique (plus précisèment une hiérarchie entre les 2 surfaces libres). En revanche, dans le cas de l'aquifère confiné, nous montrons que les deux approches conduisent à des résultats similaires. Dans la seconde partie de la thèse, nous prouvons l'unicité de la solution dans le cas non dégénéré, la preuve reposant sur un résultat de régularité du gradient de la solution dans l'espace Lr (ΩT), r > 2, (ΩT = (0,T) x Ω). Puis nous nous intéressons à un problème d'identification des conductivités hydrauliques dans le cas instationnaire. Ce problème est formulé par un problème d'optimisation dont la fonction coût mesure l'écart quadratique entre les charges hydrauliques expérimentales et celles données par le modèle

Analyse numérique d'une approximation élément fini pour un modèle d'intrusion saline dans les aquifères côtiers

In this work, we study a finite element scheme we apply to a model describing saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers confined and free. The model is based on the hydraulic approach of vertically averaging the 3D original problem, this approximation is based on a quasi-hydrostatic flow hypothesis which, instead of the walls and springs, is checked. To model the interface between freshwater and salt water (respectively between the saturated zone and dry zone), we combine the approach net interface (approach with the diffuse interface) ; This approach is derived from the phase field theory introduced by Allen-Cahn, to describe the phenomena of transition between two zones. Given these approximations, the problem consists of a strongly couple to edps parabolic quasi-linear system in the case of unconfined aquifers describing the evolution of the depths of two free surfaces and elliptical-parabolic type in the case confined aquifer, the unknowns being then the depth of salt water / fresh water and the hydraulic load of fresh water. In the first part of the thesis, we give in the case of a confined aquifer, error estimation results of a semi-implicit scheme in a combined time discretization space finite element type Pk Lagrange. This result among other uses a regularity result of the gradient of the exact solution in the space Lr(ΩT), r > 2, which can handle the non-linearity and to establish the error estimate under assumptions reasonable regularity of the exact solution. In the second part of the thesis, we generalize the previous study to the case of the free aquifer. The main difficulty is related to the complexity of the system of parabolic edps but again, thanks to regularity result Lr(ΩT), r > 2 gradients established for the free surfaces, we show that the scheme is of order 1 time and space k for sufficiently regular solutions. We conclude this work by numerical simulations in different contexts (impact of porosity and hydraulic conductivity of the evolution of the interface, and pumping fresh water injection, tidal effects) thus validating the model and diagram. The we compare the results with those obtained using a finite volume scheme constructed from a structured mesh.Dans ce travail, nous étudions un schéma élément fini que nous appliquons à un modèle décrivant l'intrusion saline dans les aquifères côtiers confinés et libres. Le modèle est basé sur l'approche hydraulique qui consiste à moyenner verticalement le problème initial 3D, cette approximation repose sur une hypothèse d'écoulement quasi-hydrostatique qui, loin des épontes et des sources, est vérifiée. Pour modéliser les interfaces entre l'eau douce et l'eau salée (respectivement entre la zone saturée et la zone sèche), nous combinons l'approche 'interface nette' à l'approche avec 'interface diffuse' ; cette approche est déduite de la théorie de champ de phase, introduite par Allen-Cahn, pour décrire les phénomènes de transition entre deux zones. Compte tenu de ces approximations, le problème consiste en un système fortement couplé d'edps quasi-linéaires de type parabolique dans le cas des aquifères libres décrivant l'évolution des profondeurs des 2 surfaces libres et de type elliptique-prabolique dans le cas des aquifères confinés, les inconnues étant alors la profondeur de l'interface eau salée/eau douce et la charge hydraulique de l'eau douce. Dans la première partie de la thèse, nous donnons dans le cas d'un aquifère confiné, des résultats d'estimation d'erreur d'un schéma semi-implicite en temps combiné à une discrétisation en espace de type élément fini Pk Lagrange. Ce résultat utilise entre autre un résultat de régularité du gradient de la solution exacte dans l'espace Lr(ΩT), r > 2, ce qui permet de traiter la non-linéarité et d'établir l'estimation d'erreur sous des hypothèses de régularité raisonnables de la solution exacte. Dans la seconde partie de la thèse, nous généralisons l'étude précédente au cas de l'aquifère libre. La difficulté principale est liée à la complexité du système d'edps paraboliques mais à nouveau, grâce au résultat de régularité Lr(ΩT), r > 2 établi pour les gradients des surfaces libres, nous montrons que le schéma est d'ordre 1 en temps et k en espace pour des solutions suffisamment régulières. Nous concluons ce travail par des simulations numériques dans différents contextes (impact de la porosité et de la conductivité hydraulique sur l'évolution de l'interface, pompage et injection d'eau douce, effet des marées) validant ainsi le modèle et le schéma. Puis nous comparons les résultats à ceux obtenus avec un schéma volume fini construit à partir d'un maillage structuré

Convergence of the One-Dimensional Cahn--Hilliard Equation

4reservedWe consider the Cahn-Hilliard equation in one space dimension with scaling parameter epsilon, i.e., u(t) = (W'(u) - epsilon(2)u(xx))(xx), where W is a nonconvex potential. In the limit epsilon down arrow 0, under the assumption that the initial data are energetically well prepared, we show the convergence to a Stefan problem. The proof is based on variational methods and exploits the gradient flow structure of the Cahn-Hilliard equation.mixedBellettini, Giovanni; Bertini, L; Mariani, M; Novaga, M.Bellettini, Giovanni; Bertini, L; Mariani, M; Novaga, M